Your Water Bill's Going Up This Year. And the Year After That. And the ... Well, You Get It.

​I mention this in the comments below, but the 5.91 percent increase in our Dallas Water Utilities bill comin' this fall won't be the last one any time soon. Matter of fact, per this morning's council briefing, this is but the first -- and the smallest -- in the foreseeable future. As in: "Retail rates outlook for FY13 is 7.3% increase and FY14 is 6.9% increase." The reason, says City Manager Mary Suhm: prolonged drought conditions, for starters, not to mention a real need to begin replacing old water mains, especially those closer to the city center, as council member Tennell Atkins noted during his remarks this morning.

Other reasons cited for the bumps today and tomorrow:

The integrated pipeline project to connect to Lake Palestine

Improvements at water treatment plants to improve reliability and capacity

Required restriction in water treatment capacity due to Eastside Water Treatment Plant expansion and associated water quality improvements

Delia Jasso suggested that "we need to start educating people now these numbers are going way up." Just doing our part.

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How about that raising the water bills is a good way to get more income for "other' city projects. Seem to remember that the city used water funds to lure AT&T to Dallas (noted in Sharon Boyd's web page a few years back). "Oh we did not raise your taxes....Only your water bill".

That's fine. Water is WAY under priced. It's so underpriced, that you likely don't even know what your rate for water is. The current rate is $1.56/1000 gallons. Just try to go to WalMart and purchase 1000 of drinking water for $1.56.

Water is far to precious to be given away this cheaply. It should be more like $10.56/1000 gallons. Which would STILL be very cheap.

City Manager has raised tax pass five years with this water going up story.I have not seen any projection on cost vs. revenue from water department.I've been in my house 25 years and not one water pipe has been changed.Water is free it comes from God city has no cost to secure water only processing so why go up every year.Plain ans simple she uses Rick Perry brand of balance budget no new Tax just new fees that are greater than Tax.City only raised tax by 6% now she is using 6% for water talking about future improvements.That water main that broke downtown at Records building had not been improved in 30 years with all that new growth downtown.God I want something to get my mind off this City and County government maybe I will start riding one of those buses to Boat.

I'm currently on "The Water Diet" whereby I drink water all day long, and eat only when I start to feel like "an over-watered plant". Blame my awesome neurologist. She said we're all "chronically dehydrated" from this heat. And Beyonce, who drinks "gallons a day".

Does anyone else think that Dallas water has a funny-ish taste? I'm all tap...and seeing things.

You guys really need to do a story on that Lake Palestine pipeline project, the path, where it stops, where it's going and how much it cost us...... $880 million I believe. Correct?DMN doesn't want to talk about it for some reason.

I hope you're taking extra sodium and potassium. I bet your neurologist doesn't have the experience in the heat I do. I learned what I know from my doctor, who was also my coach and best friend's dad. When you drink water, you need to add electrolytes. I actually add salt to my gatorade, resulting in more energy. My doc says that if you're logy after work, eat then get a second wind, that is likely salt/electrolyte deficiency--as the food replenishes your electrolytes. If you were tired, you'd be more tired after eating. For those of us who work outside, or really sweat, this has been a great epiphany for all who've tried it. Remember, salt is not bad for you, you simply sweat/pee it out.

If the drought doesn't lift, it won't matter. We are already losing trees in the park across the street. But yet, we are spending $6M of the $42M increase in funds from the tax increase to mow the highway right of ways [initially, as the mow guys told me, so it would look nice for the Superbowl]. I would rather see that money spent on maintaining what we have and not privatizing the park maintenance guys so they like the sanitation workers can make minimum wage with no benefits.

Scottindallas, you are my hero--totally serious!! Haven't slept in days! I am totally trying this right now. Thanks for your keen advice! So glad I went on the park today. 1uitting smoking and drinking lighter than before has been killing me since the market has plummeted. Once again, tyvm!

We need native/heat/drought/freeze tolerant groundcovers in the medians all over the city to eliminate the need to mow.

As much city land as possible should be converted to no-mow groundcovers, including land around schools and libraries. Near schools, patches of ground can be left for grass when necessary.

Scottsdale, AZ has managed to keep its medians and city properties looking good with rocks for groundcover, so we should certainly be able to come up with something low maintenance, eco-friendly, and attractive.

Grass, un-edged and dead, looks terrible and costs too much to take care of.

Right on and City uses money for other things not just water.What type of manager allows all support systems to get bad at same time.Why have they not upgraded pipes and pther much needed line on routine bases.The big pipe that cause 8 million dollars damage to County record building should have been replaced,they have added people and etc downtown with same system that served office 8 hours a day you would be a fool not to improve pipe and sewer.

As a landscaper by profession I would suggest you're over-reacting. Groundcovers aren't able to withstand foot traffic, where turf is much better. The water demand for Bermuda isn't that far off from other groundcovers. Mowing, is cheap, especially since lawn crews are there already, (for athletic fields and the like)

I do plant many groundcovers and appreciate the impetus that moves you, but it is an overreaction.

To the question below, there are native and other ground coversHorseherb, wood violets are two natives that can be mowed though neither can be considered reliably evergreeen. These can take some traffic, but not near what turf can bear.Asian Jasmine, Trailing Euonomous, Mondograss/Dwarf Mondograss in sunny spots and English Ivy, Algerian Ivy for shade are proven winners. There are a plethora of taller ground covers that couldn't be walked on. Turk's Cap, Coralberry, Woodfern, Maidenhair Fern, Vinca Minor, are some actually native ground covers.

What really amazes me is that levels aren't that low. Dallas has ample water reserves, and much more coming on-line. Perhaps our biggest novel water source comes from Hugo OK. Dallas has an old agreement that should deliver the equivalent of Manhattan's daily supply. This is currently in limbo between the OK legislature and the courts, which have affirmed Dallas' right to the water.

not really, mowing is cheaper than weeding or spraying herbicides. In Scotsdale it might be more plausible--it's desert. But we aren't desert. Grass or weeds will grow on their own. I dare say you're over-reacting. Grass is fine, especially bermuda. We don't have a water shortage. This has more to do with the fact that the city will make this same premium off the lesser cities that use our water. When they raise our rates, the lesser muni's rates are raised, bringing even more money from the city.